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Occupation magazine - Life under occupation Home page  back Print  Send To friend REPORT ON HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN THE SOUTHERN HEBRON HILLS The Alternative Information Center February-March 2013 A project funded by European Union INTRODUCTION So Far So Close III is a project implemented by Operation Dove, a Nonviolent Peace Corps of Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione fra i Popoli. The purpose of the Association is to improve people`s everyday life in the area of South Hebron Hills. The objective of the project is to support mutual trust through non-violent shared actions, build capacity for non-violent conflict resolution, empower marginalized parties and support cooperative policies and strategies of civil societies present in the area. Priority target groups are the local Palestinian community members and the Israeli human rights groups working in the area. The main activities are: maintaining a permanent Operation Dove presence for human rights monitoring, school patrol, shepherds and farmer accompaniment, production of weekly reports and documentation for advocacy, facilitation of delegation visits, facilitation of trainings and workshops about non-violence and reconciliation, supporting the Israeli-Palestinian Summer Camp and supporting socio-economic development. NOTES DOVE Operation Dove volunteer R “r” means number of the jeep has been registered in our reports. We use this information only for advocacy reasons DCO the office of Israeli`s army which is the civil authority in the Occupied Territories IDF Israeli Defense Force ISM International Solidarity Movement OCHA Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affair YESH DIN Israeli lawyers association RHR Rabbis for Human Rights MA`ON Israeli settlement HAVAT MA`ON Ma`on outpost (HILL 833) OHM Old Havat Ma`on (old outpost of Ma`on) KARMEL Israeli settlement AVIGAYIL Israeli settlement Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione Fra I Popoli O.N.L.U.S. Riconosciuta come ONG con Decreti n. 1999/128/001746/1P e n. 199/128/002911/4 del 19/08/1999 GENERAL OVERVIEW February 2013 During the month of February the seven villages inside “Firing Zone 918” continued to be under risk of eviction and a decision of Israel`s High Court in this matter has yet to be taken. The international campaign This Must Be The Place (nofiringzone918.org) for the abolition of the firing area and the protective presence of international volunteers continues. On February 18 close to the village of Al Majaz, soldiers took a shepherd`s donkey, goat and two goat kids. On February 21 and 28, several Palestinian residents of the area were detained and their vehicles confiscated. On February 27 two Palestinians were found laying in pain on the ground, close to the village of Bir al Idd and beside Israeli soldiers. The Israeli army delivered demolition and stop working orders in the Palestinian villages of Tuba and Khallet Athaba. Intense, coordinated activity of Israeli army, police and settlers prevented local Palestinians from accessing their grazing and farm land situated near the settlements and outposts of the area. Nineteen such cases were recorded this month. On February 20 a Palestinian shepherd was attacked near the Mitzpe Yair outpost by two settlers who further attempted to break his camera. The local population continues to respond by organising nonviolent actions to access their lands. Six direct actions in February were organized to work the land and to open an important road closed by the army. March 2013 During the month of March the Israeli army delivered demolition and stop working orders in the Palestinian villages of Maghayir al Abeed and Khallet Athaba. The entire village of Khallet Athaba, situated in Firing Zone 918, is now at risk of almost complete demolition. The international campaign This Must Be The Place (nofiringzone918.org) for the abolition of the firing area and the protective presence of international volunteers continues. A coordinated activity of the military and the settlers prevented local Palestinians from accessing their grazing and farm land situated near the settlements and outposts of the area in 23 registered cases. In particular, access was forbidden to the Khelly valley, situated between the Palestinian village of At Tuwani and the settlement of Ma`on. This valley, owned and worked by families of At Tuwani, was progressively made inaccessible over the past months by aggressive interventions of settlers and a constant presence of army and Border Police. On March 8 and 15, four Palestinians, three of whom are minors, were arrested in this valley while grazing their flocks. Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione Fra I Popoli O.N.L.U.S. Riconosciuta come ONG con Decreti n. 1999/128/001746/1P e n. 199/128/002911/4 del 19/08/1999 On March 23, another 14 years old boy was arrested on Khallet Adara hill a`er being attacked by settlers. Israeli settlers harassed Palestinians shepherds, threatening and chasing them away in ten registered cases. The settlers physically attacked Palestinians and internationals five times by throwing rocks. On March 9 the security chief of the Avigayil outpost punched a Palestinian shepherd. The local population continues to respond by organising nonviolent actions to access their lands. Nine direct actions in March were organized to work the land, to build a tent on Khelly hill for the school children escorted by the military and to bring solidarity through a march to the villages situated in the Firing Zone 918. One Palestinian and two internationals were arrested during these actions. Map: South Hebron Hills Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione Fra I Popoli O.N.L.U.S. Riconosciuta come ONG con Decreti n. 1999/128/001746/1P e n. 199/128/002911/4 del 19/08/1999 REPORT ON RELEVANT INCIDENTS February-March 2013 PROBLEMS WITH THE MILITARY ESCORT OF SCHOOL CHILDREN FROM TUBA AND MAGHAYIR AL ABEED In February Operation Dove (OD) volunteers registered 18 school days out of a possible 20. Teachers were on strike for one day. The soldiers were always present, but the children had to wait in unsafe positions for a total of almost 6 hours during the month, and lost about one hour of school. In almost 60% of the cases the soldiers did not walk with the children during the escort, remaining instead in the jeep. During the a`ernoons they did not remain with the children for the entire length of the path in 71% of the cases, leaving the children alone in very dangerous parts of the route. On February 26 several settlers attacked the children, who were le` alone by the escort, by throwing stones with slingshots. The military escort was always present in the mornings of February. The children lost in total one hour of school. The military escort accompanied the children to the end of the chicken barns (the agreed-upon meeting point) in only 13% of the registered cases, and soldiers walked with the children in only 44% of the cases. On February 4, 19 and 28, the escort did not accompany the children to the end of the path, stopping between 200 to 300 meters before the final point. The military escort was always present in the a`ernoons of February. The soldiers walked home with the children in only 41% of the registered cases, remaining in the jeep for the others. The children were forced to wait for the escort in 13 a`ernoons for a total waiting time of 5 hours and 40 minutes. The OD volunteers placed 29 calls to the Israeli army in 50% of the a`ernoons in this matter. In 71% of the analysed cases, the escort did not complete its accompaniments until the end of the path, at the chicken barns, and thus le` the pupils alone in dangerous positions. On February 5, according to the children, a settler stopped his car in front of the army jeep and asked the soldiers why they were accompanying the children along that path. The children, frightened, ran to the village of Tuba. On February 6 the children were out of school at 11:00 am and at the gate at 11:07. According to the Israeli army`s District Coordination Liaison Office (DCL) officer, the army was informed of the need to come before since one hour. At 11:20 am the volunteers called the army directly, and the responding officer said he would call the escort to understand why it wasn`t there. At 11:23 am the children decided to go home without the escort. Only one girl refused to continue and turned back. Meanwhile, the volunteers tried to convince the kids to return back and wait for the escort. At 11:28 am, the volunteers called the army to warn that children were going without an escort. The escort arrived at 11.35 am and accompanied only the girl who had turned back. Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione Fra I Popoli O.N.L.U.S. Riconosciuta come ONG con Decreti n. 1999/128/001746/1P e n. 199/128/002911/4 del 19/08/1999 On February 13 the soldiers came back to the gate, some 300-400 meters before the end of the accompaniment path, while the children were still not in sight. On February 19 the escort arrived in time but didn`t wait for the children at the gate. They waited for them about 200 maters away, along the road. On February 20, while two soldiers started walking the path with the children, the army jeep was waiting at the gate. Then another army jeep came, so the two soldiers walking stopped before the greenhouse (200 meters from the beginning of the path), while the children continued to walk alone. The second jeep accompanied the children, staying far away from them, and the escort returned back while the pupils remained alone along the chicken barns (200 meters before the end of the path). On February 24 several children were out of school earlier than usual. The OD volunteers were at the gate with the first children at 12:50 pm. All the children were ready to go home at 1:22 pm, although the army escort arrived at only 2:16 pm. The volunteers called several times the army, which always responded that the escort was on its way. When the escort arrived the army jeep waited for the children on the top of the hill, some 300-400 meters from the children. On February 25 the escort arrived late. A`er 30 minutes of waiting, two children started to walk alone but fortunately the escort arrived at that very moment, at 1:54 pm. On February 26 the escort arrived late. A`er 30 minutes of waiting, three children decided to go alone on the road. The children stopped 50 meters from the gate for several minutes. The army arrived at 10:10 am, but waited for the children up on the hill (300-400 meters away). When the children were out of sight the army jeep came back, so the children were alone for the remaining 300-400 meters. Some settlers came out of the house close to the chicken barns and ran a`er the children with a dog, throwing stones with slingshots. The children, scared, escaped towards Tuba. On February 28 the DCL didn`t answered calls from the OD volunteers. In March Operation Dove (OD) volunteers registered 21 school days. The soldiers were always present, but the children had to wait in unsafe positions for almost 2.5 hours during the month, thus losing about 40 minutes of school. In about 27% of the cases the soldiers did not walk with the children during the escort, remaining instead in the jeep. During the a`ernoons they did not remain with the children for the entire length of the path in 68% of the cases, leaving the children alone in very dangerous parts of the route. The military escort was always present in the mornings of March. The children lost in total about 40 minutes of school. The military escort accompanied the children from the end of the chicken barns (the agreed-upon meeting point) in only 20% of the registered cases. The children waited ten times at the chicken barns for a total of 38 minutes. Soldiers walked with the children in 80% of the cases. On March 26 a soldier in the army jeep stopped to talk with a settler during the escort. The military escort was always present in the a`ernoons of March. The soldiers walked home with the children in 67% of the registered cases, remaining in the jeep for the others. The children were forced to wait for the escort in nine a`ernoons for a total waiting time of 1 hour and 45 minutes. The OD volunteers Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione Fra I Popoli O.N.L.U.S. Riconosciuta come ONG con Decreti n. 1999/128/001746/1P e n. 199/128/002911/4 del 19/08/1999 placed seven calls to the Israeli army in 19% of the a`ernoons in this matter. In 68% of the analysed cases, the escort did not complete its accompaniments until the end of the path - at the chicken barns - and thus le` the pupils alone in dangerous positions. On March 6 during the escort the military jeep sped up twice violently, and the children reacted by screaming. ISRAELI ARMY AND POLICE ACTIVITY SOLDIER AND POLICE AGGRESSION As in previous months, strong military activities that took place in February aimed at preventing Palestinians from accessing their land close to the settlements and outposts of the area. Army and police prevented shepherds from freely grazing their flocks in 10 registered cases, especially near Ma`on settlement, on February 2, 7, 8, 11, 13, 17, 23, 24 and 25 (in particular on Khelly hill and Khelly valley, but also on Old Havat Ma`on and Meshaha hills and Umm Zeituna valley). The military did not act effectively when the settlers chased the Palestinians away on February 9, 12 and 27 (see “Settler harassment and aggression”, below). Access to the land to work on it was forbidden to Palestinians near the Suseya settlement on February 9, 16 and 23, and near the Mitzpe Yair outpost on February 23, 19 and 26 (see “Nonviolent resistance” section for further details). In at least seven cases the settlers called, joined or even coordinated actions with the military. The army harassed Palestinians four times inside “Firing Zone 918”. On February 18 soldiers harassed a shepherd close to the Al Majaz village. The soldiers took his donkey, a goat and two goat kids, carrying them away in a military hummer. On February 21 and 28 several people were detained and their vehicles confiscated. On February 27 two Palestinians were found laying on the ground in pain close to the village of Bir al Idd. They accused Israeli soldiers of having beaten them. On February 2 at around 8:50 am along the road between At Tuwani and Al Birkeh, Israeli Border Police officers detained a Palestinian man from At Tuwani who was walking towards Al Birkeh. When OD volunteers arrived to the area, the Border Police had already le`. According to Palestinian witnesses the officers took the detained Palestinian to the settlement of Avigayil. Two OD volunteers, a Palestinian and an Israeli activist went to Avigayil, where they saw a Border Police vehicle with the detained Palestinian inside. At around 9:45 am a police car arrived and took the man to Kiryat Arba where he was interrogated. A`er several hours he was released. On February 2 at 10:30 am a military jeep arrived at Old Havat Ma`on, on top of the hill. The soldiers spoke with two settlers and remained there 50 minutes to control the movements of Palestinian shepherds,who were located just on the other side of the hill. At 11:20 am the military jeep went away. Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione Fra I Popoli O.N.L.U.S. Riconosciuta come ONG con Decreti n. 1999/128/001746/1P e n. 199/128/002911/4 del 19/08/1999 On February 7 at 11:40 am one military jeep arrived in Meshaha. When the jeep was arriving on the gravel road in front of the outpost, two frightened shepherds ran down Meshaha hill. At 11:46 am a second military jeep came. One soldier reached one OD volunteer. At 12:00 pm the first jeep moved from Meshaha to Kharrouba valley and stopped there, the soldiers inside speaking with a settler for several minutes. Four more soldiers stepped toward an OD volunteer and a Palestinian shepherd. The soldier showed a map to the OD volunteer, talking about the areas where, according to the map, foreigners (internationals), Palestinians and Israelis cannot enter. On February 7 at 12:30 pm two Israeli soldiers arrived to Khelly valley and talked to a Palestinian shepherd who was grazing there. The soldiers said he was not allowed to remain in that place to graze and asked him for his ID. The Palestinian moved to the Khelly side, across the Palestinian street, and told the soldiers his ID was at home. The soldiers le` five minutes later. On February 8 at about 12:15 pm settlers were located in the Khelly valley. When the OD volunteers arrived, three settlers were with a policewoman in Khelly hill, close to the Ma`on road. Three Palestinian shepherds were in the valley with their flock. At 12:18 pm the security chief of Ma`on arrived with a pick up and went to speak with the policewoman up on the hill, on the Ma`on road. At 12:35 pm one Border Police jeep arrived. Four police officers got out of the jeep and pushed the shepherds beyond the same gravel road, on the At Tuwani side, showing them a map. At 12:58 pm a motorbike with two settlers came on the same gravel road and immediately le`. A`er less than one minute a military jeep arrived to the place. Three soldiers came out and stayed there to monitor the situation until about 1:20 pm. On February 11, the soldiers prevented a Palestinian shepherd from grazing in Khelly valley. According to the soldiers, it was forbidden to graze beyond the road that runs from the gate to bypass road 317 on the Ma`on side. At 1:10 pm an army vehicle arrived in Khelly valley and pushed a shepherd and his flock away. At 1:30 pm the army le` in order to escort the children from Tuba and Maghayir Al Abeed, while an Israeli activist came. A`er the army le` the shepherd returned to the valley, but at 2:00 pm the Ma`on security chief reached the place and soldiers came back. There was a debate between the Israeli activist and the soldiers and an additional army jeep arrived. The shepherd and the two kids with him were chased away from that valley yet again. The Khelly valley is owned by a Palestinian family living in the village of At Tuwani. An army jeep remained present in the area until the Palestinian shepherd was in the area (he le` a`er 3.30 pm) in order to prevent the shepherd from returning. On February 13 at 11:10 am an Israeli army jeep reached the top of the Old Havat Ma`on road, while three Palestinian shepherds (one of whom was a minor) were grazing a few meters from it. Three soldiers got out of the jeep and two of them checked the Palestinians while they were grazing for an hour. Meanwhile, another army jeep stopped on Meshaha and from there controlled from afar another shepherd who decided, therefore, to move on Kharrouba. Around 12:00 pm the soldiers le` the area. On February 17 at 10:25 am while OD volunteers were accompanying some shepherds (one woman, a girl and a child with a group of sheep and two guys with two flocks) in Khelly valley, one military jeep arrived. Two soldiers approached the woman, asking the shepherds to leave the area and to go grazing beyond the gravel road. The shepherds decided to stay. A`er Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione Fra I Popoli O.N.L.U.S. Riconosciuta come ONG con Decreti n. 1999/128/001746/1P e n. 199/128/002911/4 del 19/08/1999 about half an hour a second jeep arrived. Two soldiers started to chase all the shepherds away, refusing to give explanations to either the shepherds or the OD volunteers. One soldier hit the woman`s shoulder while he was telling her to leave. All the shepherds moved to Khelly hill. A`er several minutes the second jeep le` and the first one remained for another half hour to speak with the Palestinians, warning them not to return to the valley. On February 18 a shepherd from Maghayir al Abeed was harassed by soldiers close to the Al Majaz village. At 2:26 pm OD volunteers received a call from him. According to his statement, while he was grazing his flock in the southern Al Majaz village, he was stopped by numerous soldiers. They asked him about two Palestinian boys they were looking for. A`er the shepherd declared he didn`t see the boys, the soldiers took his donkey, a goat and two goat kids carrying them up in a military hummer. A`er that the soldiers went toward the military base close to Jinba. Palestinians and Israeli activists called the local DCO. Several times in the evening DCO officers declared that three goats (one goat and two kids) were found and that the soldiers gave them to two boys nearby Al Majaz. No inhabitant from Al Majaz has confirmed this, however. To date the owner didn`t get his animals back, and on February 20 he filed a complain through the organisation Yesh Din. On February 21 the army confiscated three Palestinian-owned trucks on the road from Jinba to Bir al Idd. When the volunteers reached the place they saw two army jeeps and two cars with DCO officers. The trucks were working to rebuild the road. The army confiscated the trucks, claiming work there was prohibited. Soldiers also took the IDs of the three drivers, saying that they would receive them back a`er bringing the trucks to the police station. On February 23 shepherds were chased away from Khelly valley. At about 9:00 am two Palestinian shepherds, a teenager and a woman with her child, were grazing their sheep in Khelly valley. The car of the Ma`on security chief came and a`er several minutes a Border Police jeep also arrived. The four soldiers talked with the settler and then ordered the shepherds to move the flocks from Khelly valley to Khelly hill. The Palestinian shepherds explained to the army commander there that this valley is private, Palestinian owned land, and that the DCO gave them the permission to work it. The soldiers chased the flocks away from Khelly valley. At about 9:30 am a second jeep of Border Police reached Khelly and ordered OD volunteers to leave the shepherds and to go away from the area, threatening them with arrest should they not comply. At 10:00 am a third army jeep came and soldiers started to talk with two Ma`on settlers. Two Israeli peace activists reached Khelly and began to argue with the Border Police officers about this issue. The Palestinian shepherds returned back from Khelly hill to Khelly valley and the army chased them away for the second time, pushing the flocks until bypass road 317 before ordering them to stop there. At about 11:30 am another Border Police vehicle reached the scene and an officer started to talk with the shepherds about their lands with a map produced by the DCO. Following these negotiations the officer allowed the shepherds to return back to Khelly valley. During this entire time of army harassments of the shepherds, the Ma`on security chief was present near the Border Police officers. On February 24 the army chased a shepherd away from Old Havat Ma`on hill. At 11:55 am an army jeep arrived on Meshaha hill, close to the fence. Several minutes later two settlers with four children reached the soldiers and spoke with them. The jeep moved to Old Havat Ma`on hill, where a shepherd was grazing Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione Fra I Popoli O.N.L.U.S. Riconosciuta come ONG con Decreti n. 1999/128/001746/1P e n. 199/128/002911/4 del 19/08/1999 his sheep. Three soldiers went out from the jeep and two of them walked down towards the shepherd. The shepherd ran away and reached the Meshaha valley. A`er several minutes the soldiers le` the place. The shepherd remained at the bottom of the valley all a`ernoon before going back home. On February 25 at about 10:00 am two Palestinian shepherds were grazing their flocks on the Ma`on side of Khelly hill. The Ma`on security chief came and stopped on the road that passes through the valley. A`er a few minutes an army jeep arrived and two soldiers started to talk with the settler in the car. At 10:21 am three soldiers came down from the road and ordered the shepherds to return back to Khelly hill, on the other side of the road towards the At Tuwani village. The shepherds told to the soldiers that this was their privately owned land, and the soldiers responded that these lands belong to the Municipality of Ma`on. One of the soldiers added that this was the “promised land” and that OD volunteers should return to Italy, to their cities of origin, without questioning Israel and Palestine. At about 10:30 am an Israeli peace activist reached the shepherds and started to walk towards the Ma`on new road, up to Khelly valley, nearby Ma`on new houses. A jeep of soldiers and the Ma`on security chief forced him to return back to Khelly hill. The Palestinian shepherds continued to graze their sheep down from Khelly road. At about 11:45 am the commander of the soldiers started to speak in a friendly manner with the Ma`on security chief and at about 12:15 pm the army le` the area. On February 27 two Palestinians were found laying on the ground in pain close to the village of Bir al Idd. The Palestinians accused Israeli soldiers of having beaten them. At 9:20 pm the OD volunteers arrived on the place and found an army jeep, a Palestinian van and a tow truck. There were two Palestinians moaning on the ground and several other Palestinians assisting them. According to them, they were going to Jinba and were stopped by the army in Bir al Idd. The army let them go. In Jinba the soldiers stopped them again at 7.30 pm, forcing them to go back to Bir al Idd in order to confiscate their vehicle. Once close to Bir al Idd, the soldiers opened the back door of the van, took the two Palestinians out and beat the area of their kidneys with rifle stocks. The soldiers then stole ten thousand shekels, a`er which they went on the bypass road to wait for the tow truck and the ambulance called by the Palestinians. According to the soldiers, they stopped the van in Jinba and demanded it move to Bir al Idd in order to confiscate the van as the Palestinians were illegal workers. There, the soldiers continued, the two Palestinians laid on the ground pretending they were beaten by the soldiers. The OD volunteers observed that an additional three army jeeps arrived. At 9:35 pm the ambulance arrived and carried the injured people away, a`er which a police car and a Border Police jeep arrived. The policemen interrogated the Palestinians of the area. At 10:00 pm the tow truck took away the Palestinian van and no one was detained, and by 10:20 pm everyone had le`. On the night between February 28 and March 1 the Israeli army detained 14 Palestinians (four of whom were children, aged 5-9) for eight hours while they were trying to reach their families living in Jinba. A`er 7 hours of detention four Palestinian-owned vehicles were confiscated (two cars and two quads). At 6:00 pm an army hummer stopped five Palestinian vehicles on the road which connects Bir al Idd to Jinba. The soldiers took the IDs of all the Palestinians in the stopped vehicles, declaring that no vehicle could pass through that road during the week because the road leads to Firing Area 918. The soldiers further declared that transit is allowed only for residents on Friday and Saturday. It was forbidden for those detained to use Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione Fra I Popoli O.N.L.U.S. Riconosciuta come ONG con Decreti n. 1999/128/001746/1P e n. 199/128/002911/4 del 19/08/1999 the telephones, and two telephones of a Palestinian coming from Jinba to join the group were confiscated. Two hours later, once the police arrived, the army gave the telephones back and allowed the people to use them. A`er the police, three additional army jeeps, the Border Police and the DCO arrived. The lawyer who supports the Palestinians in the lawsuit concerning the eviction of Firing Zone 918 residents provided legal support by telephone, stating that all people living in that area are able to circulate freely. The Israeli authorities proposed several options as an alternative to confiscate the vehicles, although the Palestinians refused to give up their right to access their village in their own transportation. At 1:00 am the police started to remove two cars and the two quads. They finished at 3:00 am, when they released all the passengers. Only one car was allowed to reach Jinba. As in previous months, strong military activities this month aimed at preventing Palestinians from accessing their land close to the area’s settlements and outposts. Army and police prevented shepherds from freely grazing their flocks in nine registered cases, especially near Ma`on settlement, on March 8, 9, 10, 15, 19, 23, 27 and 30 (in particular on Khelly hill and Khelly valley, but also on Old Havat Ma`on and Meshaha hills and Umm Zeitouna valley). On March 8, 15, and 23 five Palestinians were arrested while grazing their flocks (four of them were minors). The military did not act effectively when settlers chased Palestinians away on March 2 and 9 (see “Settler harassment and aggression”, below). Access to the land for cultivation was forbidden to Palestinians near the Suseya settlement on March 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, and near the Mitzpe Yair outpost on March 9; on March 23 a Palestinian was arrested and on March 29 an international was arrested while another three were injured (see “Nonviolent resistance” section for further details). In at least seven cases the settlers called, joined or even coordinated actions with the military. On March 18 the army trained inside “Firing Zone 918” close to the Al Majaz village. On March 8 a Palestinian shepherd was arrested in Khelly valley. At around 10:15 am four shepherds were grazing their flock in Khelly valley on privately-owned Palestinian land (in part of the valley surrounded by a fence built by Ma’on settlers) when the Ma`on security chief came, took photos of them and then called the police and army. A District Coordination Office (DCO) jeep, an army jeep, a Border Police jeep and a police car arrived. They arrested the sole Palestinian adult present and asked for the passports of the international volunteers on the scene. The Israeli officials le` at around 1:40 pm. On March 9 two Palestinian shepherds were temporarily detained and threatened with arrest by Border Police officers on Khelly hill. The two shepherds were grazing their flocks in woods near the street on Khelly hill when the security chief of Ma`on, coordinating with the Border Police, chased them away at around 10:30 am. Several Israeli peace activists from the group Ta`ayush then arrived. The two shepherds returned to the woods and at around 11:50 am were temporary detained by the Border Police. On March 10 three Palestinian shepherds from the villages of Tuba and Saadet Tha`lah were grazing their sheep in the Umm Zeitouna valley when the Ma`on security chief and another settler arrived to the area. The settlers called a police car and an army van that chased the Palestinians away, a`er which they took one goat from the shepherd of Saadet Tha`lah. The goat was later returned. The police and the army co- Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione Fra I Popoli O.N.L.U.S. Riconosciuta come ONG con Decreti n. 1999/128/001746/1P e n. 199/128/002911/4 del 19/08/1999 ordinated themselves with the Ma`on security chief and the other settler. On March 15 three Palestinian boys were grazing their flocks on Khelly hill, in a wood close to the Ma`on cherry trees fence. At 9:40 am two settlers came by car close to the boys, videotaped them and then le`. At 10:30 am a police car came and a policeman told the boys they were accused by the settlers of breaking the cherry trees fence. The police man took the boys to the Kiryat Arba police station. The three boys were detained in the Kiryat Arba police station until March 17. On the evening of March 15 the parents were called for interrogation and the police officers asked them for bail. Since the parents refused to pay bail, on March 17 the teenagers were transferred to the Ofer Israeli military prison, near Ramallah. There they were tried by the military court and found not guilty. The boys were released on the same day, late in the evening, without paying any fine. Both the police officers and the judge refused to listen to an international witness, who was present during the incident and could testify in favour of the three boys. For further information see press releases: http://snipurl.com/26y6d99 http://snipurl.com/26y6duv On March 18 the Israeli army conducted a training on a hill above the Palestinian village of Al Majaz. At around 10:30 am two international volunteers saw a large-scale military training above Al Majaz. The training, which lasted all the morning, resulted in the damage of several Palestinian fields. On March 19, a Border Police jeep went on Old Havat Ma`on hill and a shepherd from Maghayir Al Abeed ran away in fear. While escaping the shepherd injured his leg. On March 23 a 14 year old Palestinian boy was arrested on Khallet Adara hill. At about 10:30 am OD volunteers received a telephone call from a Palestinian man reporting that a group of ten young settlers attacked two Palestinian children while the latter were grazing their flock on Khallet Adara hill. When two volunteers reached the area they found jeeps of the Border Police and army. The man who called the volunteers was confused and worried about the fate of his child, age 14, who was detained and arrested by Israeli police a`er the clash with Ma`on settlers. The police brought the boy to the Kiryat Arba police station and asked for a fine of NIS 2000 shekel, otherwise the boy would be brought to the Ofer military prison. The father said his family didn`t have this money and couldn’t pay the price. On March 30 two OD volunteers were accompanying two Palestinian shepherds on the hill beside Khelly valley. Four soldiers and four Border Police officers arrived and started to chase the sheep away, saying that the shepherds were not allowed to stay there. The shepherds, because of the military, moved to another side of Khelly hill and remained there until 12:30 pm. Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione Fra I Popoli O.N.L.U.S. Riconosciuta come ONG con Decreti n. 1999/128/001746/1P e n. 199/128/002911/4 del 19/08/1999 DEMOLITION AND STOP WORKING ORDERS During the month of February the Israeli army delivered demolition and stop working orders in the Palestinian villages of Tuba and Khallet Athaba. On February 5 at about 10:30 am the DCO and Israeli army delivered one executive demolition order in Tuba for a house-tent and a house, belonging to Ahmed and Nasser Ali Awad. Thirteen people, of whom eleven are children, live in these homes. The demolition order of those buildings is the consequence of a stop working order delivered on September 3, 2012. On February 5, at about 11:30 am the DCO and Israeli army delivered two stop working order for two wells in Khallet Athaba, the first belonging to Dababsi family and the second to a family from Al Mufaqarah. The DCO further delivered a remove to invaders order to an olive tree field, owned by the family from Al Mufaqarah. During the month of March the Israeli army delivered demolition and stop working orders in the Palestinian villages of Maghayir al Abeed and Khallet Athaba. The entire village of Khallet Athaba, situated in Firing Zone 918, is now at risk of almost complete demolition. On March 6 an army jeep and a DCO van delivered to the Palestinian village of Khallet Athaba twenty stop working order for four cisterns of water, four houses (three concrete and one house-tent), two tents, three toilets, three stables for the flock and another four buildings. For further information see press release: http://snipurl.com/26y6cso On March 13 an army jeep and a DCO van delivered two demolition orders for the wind turbine and the solar panels in the Palestinian village of Maghayir al Abeed. CHECKPOINTS During the month of February the number of registered flying checkpoints set up inside At Tuwani and on the road connecting At Tuwani to Al Birkeh was ten. The number of checkpoints and of people stopped increased significantly with respect to the previous month. During these checkpoints OD volunteers recorded that 75 adults and 21 children were stopped. The checkpoints lasted in total more than ten hours and the military held people for 4:20 hours. On February 4 at 4.20 pm the Border Police set up a checkpoint on the road from At Tuwani to Al Birkeh. The officers stopped two cars and a tractor, in total seven adults for half an hour. A driver was body searched and his stick to graze the sheep was confiscated. The check point ended at 4.56 pm. On February 12 from about 2:00 pm on the road from At Tuwani to Al Birkeh, a police car with two officers stopped seven people for a total stopping time of 25 minutes. At 2:28 pm the police car le`. On February 14 at 7:35 am four agents of the Border Police with a white car set up a checkpoint at the en- Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione Fra I Popoli O.N.L.U.S. Riconosciuta come ONG con Decreti n. 1999/128/001746/1P e n. 199/128/002911/4 del 19/08/1999 trance of At Tuwani. They stopped and searched eight people and three cars for a total stopping time of 20 minutes. They le` a`er 90 minutes. On February 15 at 9:40 am on the road from At Tuwani to Al Birkeh, the Border Police stopped five adults and six children for a total stopping time of 1:15 hours. At 9:48 am a car with a family (a man, woman and six children) was stopped. The officers checked the license of the driver and took his ID. They forbade him from going inside the car, from smoking, from speaking on the phone and prevented the two OD volunteers from observing the checkpoint, speaking with him or having any information about the situation. At 10:36 am the agents searched him and asked to him to sign a fine for the car (the amount was more than NIS 2000). A`er that they took the car plate and let him go at 10:53 am. On February 16 a nonviolent action on the road Tuwani-Al Birkeh was conducted in order to remove an earth mound blocking the street. From the moment the nonviolent action ended, at around 2:00 pm, soldiers and Border Police officers began halting each car passing there. OD volunteers monitored the checkpoint from 3:00 pm until 3:45 pm, when the checkpoint was dismantled. During this time the Israeli authorities stopped six cars with 14 adults and seven children, checking all the documents. On February 20 at around 9:45 am, OD volunteers were informed about the presence of soldiers on the road to Al Birkeh. The soldiers were holding the ID of a Palestinian stopped before the OD volunteers had arrived. During the checkpoint Israeli officers stopped an additional five persons. The soldiers returned the ID to the man at 10:56 am and then le`. On February 20 at around 6:00 pm the army set up a checkpoint on the road to Al Birkeh. The soldiers stopped eight adults and three children. The checkpoint ended at around 6:45 pm. On February 21 at around 8:00 am the Border Police set up a checkpoint on the At Tuwani-Al Birkeh road. The soldiers stopped five adults, and the check point ended at around 9:30 am. On February 26 at around 11:25 am the army set up a checkpoint on the road At Tuwani-Al Birkeh. The soldiers stopped eight adults and one child for a total stopping time of 16 minutes. The checkpoint ended at around 11:55 am. On February 27 at 1:55 pm the army set up a checkpoint on the road from At Tuwani to Al Birkeh. The soldiers stopped the Tuwani school`s headmaster and took his ID. He was held for about 30 minutes. The soldiers stopped an additional three cars with five adults. During the month of March the number of registered flying checkpoints set up on the road connecting At Tuwani to Al Birkeh was five. The number of checkpoints decreased in comparison to the previous month, but the total duration increased to 12 hours. During these checkpoints OD volunteers recorded that 24 adults and 4 children were stopped. The army and the Border Police held people for 3:15 hours in total. On March 11 the army set up a checkpoint from 8:54 am to 9:15 am and stopped an adult for 10 minutes. On March 15 seven Israeli soldiers made a checkpoint from 9:40 am to 10:45 am. They stopped in total two cars with three adults, an old woman and two children. Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione Fra I Popoli O.N.L.U.S. Riconosciuta come ONG con Decreti n. 1999/128/001746/1P e n. 199/128/002911/4 del 19/08/1999 On March 18 the army set up a checkpoint from 2:24 pm to 7:40 pm. The soldiers stopped four adults for 20 minutes and one child for 10 minutes. On March 19 the Border Police and the army set up a checkpoint from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. The military stopped 12 adults for 2 hours and a child for 10 minutes. On March 31 the Border Police made a checkpoint at about 9:45 am. When OD volunteers arrived the officers tried to chase them away. They stopped a tractor and a car with two passengers each for 15 minutes in total. The checkpoint finished at 10:15 am. SETTLER HARASSMENT AND AGGRESSION Israeli settlers harassed Palestinians shepherds, threatening and chasing them away in 9 registered cases. On February 20 a Palestinian shepherd was attacked near the Mitzpe Yair outpost by two settlers who further attempted to break his camera. On other at least seven separate occasions Israeli settlers coordinated and joined the army and police in chasing Palestinian shepherds away and stopping Palestinians from ploughing their own land (see sections “Soldier and police aggression”, on February 2, 7, 8, 23, 24, 25 and “Nonviolent resistance” on February 9). On February 4 at 12:04 pm one settler came down Meshaha hill to scare four Palestinian shepherds (two adults and two minors) with their sheep. The settler took several pictures and screamed at the shepherds, telling them to go away. The settler then approached the outpost to speak with another two settlers. From 12:44 pm onwards the same settler who harassed the shepherds walked ahead, and back in front of the outpost (top of Kharrouba valley) to watch the remaining Palestinian shepherds. At 12:55 pm one of these shepherds went home (to At Tuwani) through the Humra valley. At that time the settler came down and approached the shepherd (15 to 5 meters). The settler walked in front of the shepherd for about ten minutes and than went away. On February 9, while three Palestinian children were grazing their flock in Khelly valley, around eight settlers chased them away. The Palestinian children were grazing their flock in Khelly, between the bypass road (R317) and the road that runs around Ma`on. Two OD volunteers were in Khelly hill with other shepherds, monitoring the situation. At around 1:45 pm the Palestinians observed from Khelly hill that several settlers were coming out from the Ma`on entrance and started to go down toward Khelly. An army hummer had been on top of the hill (near the settlement`s homes) for some thirty minutes. The three children (informed by the others) ran away and reached Khelly hill. At around 1:50 pm six settlers (two adults and four children) reached the place where the Palestinians had been just a few minutes before. Another army jeep arrived to the place. A`er several minutes one settler, soon followed by the others, started to come to Khelly valley and then damaged the crops. While the first settler was coming on the road, two settlers came down from Ma`on and the others started to walk on top of the crops. While the soldiers were trying to Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione Fra I Popoli O.N.L.U.S. Riconosciuta come ONG con Decreti n. 1999/128/001746/1P e n. 199/128/002911/4 del 19/08/1999 stop the settlers, a third army jeep arrived. At around 2:10 pm a police jeep reached the place and officers called a settler to provide testimony. A`er that they took depositions from the Palestinians and from one international, all of them present from the beginning of the incident. The settlers were reached from other four. At around 2:40 pm the Palestinians who reached the place following the incident le`, followed by several army vehicles and the police. At 3:00 pm some settlers (families and children) were still present in the Khelly valley. The access to the valley was prohibited to Palestinians by the soldiers, even though the valley is Palestinian privately-owned land and is worked by Palestinians. The army was present and monitored the area until everyone le`. On February 10 two shepherds from Maghayir Al Abeed were grazing their flock on Old Havat Ma`on (Tuba side). At around 1:00 pm a car came from Havat Ma`on. It stopped on the Old Havat Ma`on hill and two settlers ran down from the top of the hill toward the two Palestinians. One OD volunteer was watching from Kharrouba. When the settlers and the shepherds went out of sight from Kharrouba hill, the international was in touch by phone with the Palestinians. According to them they escaped in the valley, trying to reach Maghayir Al Abeed. The settlers stopped and screamed at them. The two settlers returned to their car a`er several minutes. On February 12 a shepherd from Qawawis was grazing his flock near the Israeli outpost of Avigayil. At around 1:30 pm an armed settler came from Avigayil and began to chase the sheep away. Meanwhile, another settler came from the outpost and four more soldiers reached the two soldiers who had just arrived to check the Palestinian shepherd. The soldiers asked the Palestinian why he had approached the caravan outpost, but the video in possession of OD volunteers demonstrated clearly hat he did not approach the caravan, as related by the settlers. The soldiers told the shepherd that he could graze until the border marked by the settlers, but just a few minutes later the two settlers chased the sheep all the way until the bypass road. On February 14 at 12:11 pm two settlers came with a car on Meshaha hill. They went down in Meshaha valley by foot and chased away a shepherd who was grazing his sheep. The shepherd ran to the end of Meshaha hill (south-east). When the settlers arrived in the valley, an OD volunteer walked in the direction of the shepherd. The volunteer joint the shepherd at the end of Meshaha hill (south-east), when the settlers were coming on their way back. At 12.29 pm the settlers went away with their car. On February 20 a Palestinian shepherd was attacked near the Mitzpe Yair outpost by two settlers who also attempted to break his camera. In the a`ernoon OD volunteers received a call from an Israeli activist, who informed them that a Palestinian from Qawawis, a B`tselem volunteer, was attacked and injured by two settlers near the Mitzpe Yair outpost. The volunteers called and arranged to meet him in the evening. According to this witness, at around 4:00 pm while he was coming back home a`er grazing his flock in the valleys south of the outpost, two settlers reached him. The settlers took his camera and pushed him to the ground. They threw the camera away, trying to break it. The shepherd was slightly injured in one hand and a leg. A`er the attack the Palestinian went to the hospital in Hebron and to the Kiryat Arba Police Station to complain against the settlers. The camera wasn`t broken. On February 22 six Palestinian children were grazing on Khelly hill. At 10:00 am the Ma`on security chief Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione Fra I Popoli O.N.L.U.S. Riconosciuta come ONG con Decreti n. 1999/128/001746/1P e n. 199/128/002911/4 del 19/08/1999 reached the children who were grazing near the trees in Khelly hill, saying that it was forbidden to them to stay there (even if the area is outside of Ma`on jurisdiction). The children le`. On February 22 several settlers harassed a Palestinian shepherd and some children in Khelly valley. At 9:30 am two Palestinian children were gathering grass in Khelly valley when a settler came out of his house and shouted to make them go away. At 9:55 am two other Palestinians tried to gather grass in the same field but another settler reached the street between Ma`on and Khelly valley and shout again at the children, who ran away. At 11:00 am the chief of the security of Ma`on came and chased the Palestinian shepherd away from the woods to Khelly hill (At Tuwani side). Then he went on the street on Khelly hill near Ma`on and watched the Palestinian until 11.45 am. On February 25 at 11:25 am the Ma`on security chief went by car towards two shepherds who were grazing their flock in the valley of Umm Zeitouna, between the chicken barns and Shaab al Botosh. The shepherds returned back towards Tuba village. On February 27 at about 10:00 am three Palestinian shepherds were grazing their sheep in Khelly valley area, near the trees. The Ma`on security chief arrived and asked the OD volunteers to tell the shepherds that they were not allowed to stay in that position, and that they had to move toward Khelly hill. At about 10:30 am an army vehicle arrived and a`er checking the position of the shepherds, le` the area. One of the soldiers showed his middle finger to OD volunteers from the vehicle. Israeli settlers harassed Palestinians shepherds, threatening and chasing them away in ten registered cases. The settlers physically attacked Palestinians and internationals five times by throwing rocks. On March 9 the security chief of Avigayil outpost punched a Palestinian shepherd. On at least four separate occasions Israeli settlers coordinated and joined the army and police in chasing Palestinian shepherds away and stopping Palestinians from cultivating their own land (see section “Soldier and police aggression”, on March 8, 9, 10, 23). On March 2 at 11:20 am a Palestinian shepherd was grazing his flock near the outpost of Avigayil when a settler came and told him to leave. The settlers showed a map to the Palestinian and then called the army. Three soldiers came and chased the shepherd away. On the morning of Saturday, March 2, ten settlers tried to chase away Palestinians with their flocks from the lands located between the village of At Tuwani and the settlement of Ma`on. At around 10:00 am a family and two boys from the village of At Tuwani were grazing their flocks in the hills of Khelly, when ten settlers (including several minors) ran from Ma`on to the valley, reaching the shepherds. The settlers violently chased the sheep away and ordered the Palestinians to leave, saying they were in Israel and for that reason could not be there. The settlers threatened the Palestinians and two OD volunteers who were accompanying them, even attempting to prevent them from filming the scene. Some soldiers were present but they failed to prevent the settlers from rushing onto Palestinian fields and reaching the shepherds. The settlers also shouted at a pregnant woman who interposed herself between the flock and the settlers to avoid an escalation of violence. When the police and the border police arrived they detained a settlers and a Palestinian: the first one because he insulted an Israeli official and ran away, the second because it was suspected without evidence Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione Fra I Popoli O.N.L.U.S. Riconosciuta come ONG con Decreti n. 1999/128/001746/1P e n. 199/128/002911/4 del 19/08/1999 that he threw a stone. Both were released one hour later a`er being questioned by the DCO. On March 9 two Palestinian shepherds and three OD volunteers were attacked by masked settlers in the Humra valley. An OD volunteer was with a Palestinian shepherd in Humra valley when two settlers came out from Havat Ma`on and started to shout at the shepherd. The shepherd did not run away, so the two settlers came back masked and threw stones with slingshots towards the shepherd and the volunteers. The two escaped to Kharrouba hill where two other OD volunteers were located. On March 9 the security chief of Avigayil hit a shepherd who was grazing his flock near the outpost. The settler came out two times. The first time he ordered the shepherd to leave. The second time he repeatedly beat the shepherd by punching him. On site were several Israelis activists who tried to stop the violence, and military officers who intervened only a`er the activists got involved. The shepherd went to the Kiryat Arba police station to file a complaint, but a policeman accused him of having attacked the settler. On March 10, three settlers harassed three Palestinians and an OD volunteer on Meshaha hill. At around 10:25 am a settler with a slingshot threw a stone at a Palestinian boy from Tuba who was gathering grass on Meshaha hill. Several minutes later the same settler threw another stone at a Palestinian shepherd from Mufaqarah who was grazing his flock in the Kharrouba valley. Nobody got hurt and the settler, probably a`er having noticed that an OD volunteer was taping him, went away. At 11:20 am the settler came out again from the Havat Ma`on trees, followed by another two boys. They ran toward the top of Meshaha hill where a gatherer from At Tuwani and an OD volunteer quickly le` the place without being attacked. The settlers subsequently returned back to Havat Ma`on. On March 19 four adult settlers and two minors chased away and threw stones at two international volunteers from the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israeli (EAPPI) on Old Havat Ma`on hill. The two international were taking pictures of illegal works in the outpost when the settlers, who were working, started to run a`er them masked, throwing stones with slingshot. The two international managed to escape and no injuries were reported On March 21 four Palestinians asked OD volunteers to come immediately to Kharrouba hill, because settlers from Havat Ma`on were attacking the shepherds grazing in the area. At 4:00 pm when the first OD volunteers arrived on Kharrouba hill, they saw at least six masked settlers standing near the Havat Ma`on woods. Three of them were throwing stones with slingshots at the Palestinians. One Palestinian minor from Al Mufaqarah village testified that a settler hit him with a stone on his leg and he felt a sharp pain. Two adult settlers continued to throw stones with slingshots at Palestinian and the international volunteers. The Palestinian didn`t answer the attacks but taped the incident using a camera received from the Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem. The Palestinian called the police and waited for their arrival in At Tuwani village at about 4:45 pm. On March 23, two children and two boys were pushed away by two armed settlers while grazing their flocks. The shepherds (two from Umm Al Kheer and two from Tuba) were under the cow barns (between Ma`on and Karmel settlements) when, at around 10:30 am, two armed settlers appeared from the cow fence and screamed at the shepherds, who le` the place. Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione Fra I Popoli O.N.L.U.S. Riconosciuta come ONG con Decreti n. 1999/128/001746/1P e n. 199/128/002911/4 del 19/08/1999 On March 25, two Palestinians were gathering herbs on the street leading to Old Havat Ma`on hill when they were attacked by four masked settlers from Havat Ma`on. At 12:45 pm, four masked settlers ran out from Havat Ma`on with slingshots in their hands and made the two Palestinian quickly leave. An international volunteer located on Kharrouba Hill shouted in order to warn the Palestinians about the settlers. When the gatherers were too far from them, the settlers, up on Meshaha Hill, tried to hit the volunteer with stones. At 1:00 pm the settlers went away. On March 26 two Palestinians were grazing their flock on the side of Old Havat Ma`on hill when four settlers came out from the outpost and began walking towards them. The shepherds ran away and the settlers returned back in the wood. NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE During the month of February the actions carried out by the Palestinians of the South Hebron Hills were aimed primarily at working the Palestinian land located near the outposts of the area (Mitzpe Yair and Havat Yair, close to Suseya), opening an important road closed by the army, and responding to the evacuation policy of Firing Zone 918. No Palestinian was arrested during the nonviolent actions this month. On February 9,16 and 23, Palestinians, Israeli and international activists gathered on Palestinian-owned land in front of the Israeli outpost of Havat Yair, near Suseya. The goal of the actions was to access that land. Participating in the actions were 40-60 people, most of whom were women and children. Even before the action began on February 9 at 10:00 am Palestinians already found about 15 soldiers, 15 Border Police officers and two settlers who were then joined by four others. At 10:15 am, the Israeli army declared the area a “closed military zone” and very slowly all the people came out from the area and remained for several minutes on the border of this closed zone. On February 16 at 9:40 am, when people arrived to the action meeting place, they found 15 soldiers and Border Police officers waiting for them. The soldiers didn`t allow the Palestinians to go inside their fields, giving no explanation for this order. At 9:50 am another Border police jeep arrived, as well as about 10 Israeli activists. At 10.00 am the Border Police declared the area a “closed military zone” and, together with the soldiers, pushed the remaining people to the border of that zone. Palestinians, internationals and Israeli activists stayed there for an additional 1:45 hours. On February 23 at about 9:30 am some 50 Palestinians started to go toward the land in front of Havat Yair. Two army jeeps and a Border Police jeep were waiting for the demonstrators, preventing them for reaching the land which had just been declared a “closed military zone”. At about 10:15 am the Border Police officers stopped a young Palestinian boy who was joining the group, but a`er a few minutes a little group of women and children nonviolently pushed him away from the military. The people sat and spoke quietly at the borders of the zone until about 12:30 pm. Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione Fra I Popoli O.N.L.U.S. Riconosciuta come ONG con Decreti n. 1999/128/001746/1P e n. 199/128/002911/4 del 19/08/1999 On February 9 and 16 Palestinians, Israeli and international activists gathered at the intersection of bypass road 317 and the road At Tuwani-Al Birkeh. The access of this road was hindered by the Israeli army and the DCO through three road blocks. On February 9 at 12:00 pm about 45 people gathered there. The demonstrators tried to talk to the soldiers and the police to make them remove the blocks (there were four army jeeps, three Border Police jeeps and one police car). People le` at 1:00 pm. On February 16 at around 11:45 pm, some 30 people reached the place. Palestinians and Israeli activists started to free the road using hands, shovels and pickaxes. A few moments later an army vehicle arrived. The soldiers stayed to watch the works. At 1.05 pm a Palestinian arrived, driving a tractor with a plough to free the road. The action finished 15 minutes later with the road partially freed. On February 23 the SHH Popular Committee organized a nonviolent action with the aim of reaching the Palestinian land around the Mitzpe Yair outpost. At around 9.00 am, some 20 people (Palestinian, Israeli and international activists) arrived near the area. There were three army jeeps and a Border Police car waiting for the demonstration. The soldiers didn`t allow the people to reach the land, so the Palestinians sat near the land for almost an hour Before leaving. During the month of March the actions carried out by the Palestinians of the South Hebron Hills were aimed primarily at working the Palestinian land located near the outposts of the area (Mitzpe Yair and Havat Yair, close to Suseya). Other important actions were carried out in order to garner attention and solidarity for the people living in Firing Zone 918 and to build a tent for the children on Khelly Hill close to At Tuwani. One Palestinian and two internationals were arrested during these actions. On March 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 Palestinians, Israeli and international activists gathered on Palestinian-owned land in front of the Israeli outpost of Havat Yair, near Suseya. The goal of the actions was to access that land. Participating in the actions were 40-60 people, most of whom were women and children. Each time army soldiers and Border Police officers were already present and waiting for the demonstrators, preventing them for reaching the land by declaring it a “closed military zone”. On March 23 a Palestinian was arrested. On March 9 several Palestinians families with some internationals and an Israeli activist, went on the land near Mitzpe Yair to claim their right to access the land. The military, already in place, declared it a closed military area and pushed everyone away. On March 16 and 17 about 70 people, most of them women and children, went to Khelly hill, between At Tuwani and Ma`on settlement, to create a shelter for the children of Tuba and Maghayir al Abeed who wait every day for the military escort to return back home from school. On the morning of March 16 Palestinian, Israeli and international peace activists began to build a tent on Khelly hill. The Israeli army, Border Police and police officers arrived quickly and attempted to push the activists away. Just a`er noon the army declared the area a “closed military zone” for 24 hours and ordered everyone to evacuate it. One international activist was arrested. About one hour later the tent was torn down by the Israeli army and police. In the morning of March 17 at 10:30 am, the children of the At Tuwani school, coming from seven villages of the South Hebron Hills, marched to the area in order to rebuild the tent. The children entered the “closed military zone” and stood between the soldiers and the people who were working on the tent, in solidarity Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione Fra I Popoli O.N.L.U.S. Riconosciuta come ONG con Decreti n. 1999/128/001746/1P e n. 199/128/002911/4 del 19/08/1999 with their school mates from Tuba and Maghayir Al Abeed. The Israeli forces pushed everyone away and again dismantled the tent, this time confiscating the construction materials. For further information see press release: http://snipurl.com/26y6e4z On March 29 was conducted the “Freedom March”, a peaceful solidarity march organized by the Freedom Theatre of Jenin in cooperation with the South Hebron Hills Popular Committee. The Freedom March, joined by some 100 people, most of whom were women and children, started from At Tuwani toward the villages situated in Firing Zone 918. As the march was reaching Mufaqarah, the military and border police tried to stop it. The military first attempted to arrest Abu Mosa from the local Popular Committee, who fainted while in Israeli custody and was removed by the Red Crescent. At about 10:40 am the military arrested Luke Nephew, poet and activist from the Freedom March Bus. He was taken to the police station in Kiryat Arba where he was informed that he would be deported. Several participants to the march were injured: one international had her leg twisted and others were hit in the head with rifle butts. The march continued anyway until the village of Khallet Athaba. DELEGATIONS In February four groups of 34 people in total came to visit the area. On February 19 two members of PAH - Polish Humanitarian Action, Mission in Israel/ Occupied Palestinian Territory came at 7.30 am to observe the school patrol. They asked information about the school patrol and also about the area in general. The association is working the the South Hebron Hills area, on Zanuta, Rawah and other Palestinian villages. On February 20 two members of Corporate Watch from the United Kingdom visited At Tuwani and met representatives of the SHH Popular Committee and the SHH B’Tselem coordinator. Corporate Watch is an independent, not-for-profit journalism, research and publishing group that undertakes research on the social and environmental impact of large corporations, particularly multinationals. On February 21 three people coming from the Faculty for the Israeli and Palestinian peace visited At Tuwani and met members from Operation Dove and South Hebron Hills popular committee. On February 26 at 1:00 pm 27 people from Italy visited the village of Tuwani. They had lunch at the women`s cooperative and made a tour of the village. The Freedom Theatre from Jenin organized the “Freedom Bus” that arrived in Tuwani in the evening of March 24 with about 50 participants. People from Colombia, USA, UK, Germany, France and Italy joined the group. The internationals helped the Palestinians in works at the school and in the construction of a small stone shelter on Khelly Hill for the children of Tuba and Maghayir Al Abeed, who wait for the military escort. Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione Fra I Popoli O.N.L.U.S. Riconosciuta come ONG con Decreti n. 1999/128/001746/1P e n. 199/128/002911/4 del 19/08/1999 Every evening the artists involved the residents with music and theatre performances. The group visited Tuwani and Mufaqarah. It stayed until Friday 29 for the “Freedom March”. This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII – Condivisione fra i Popoli and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union. Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII - Condivisione Fra I Popoli O.N.L.U.S. Riconosciuta come ONG con Decreti n. 1999/128/001746/1P e n. 199/128/002911/4 del 19/08/1999 Links to the latest articles in this section Occupation forces injure mourners following funeral of slain infant Mohammad Tamimi Nabi Saleh village assaulted - toddler shot in the head died in hospital Palestinians in the snow: thrown from home into the snow, throw snowballs and get arrested